Nutrition & Diet Study: Vitamin D3 twice as effective as D2

[Second Summer]

A new study finds that, contrary to popular belief, vitamin D-2 and D-3 do not have equal nutritional value. With vitamin D deficiency on the rise, the authors call for a rethink of official guidelines.

More: Vitamin D guidelines may be changed following new study (6. July 2017)

The consequence of this may be that more foods are fortified with vitamin D3, which unfortunately is often not vegan.

Also, they didn't look at how vitamin D levels in the body varied with vitamin doses, i.e. whether there was much difference in effectiveness between D2 and D3 when the doses were higher (or lower).

 

[silva]

Ugh. Some people do fine on D2, others do not. I take D3 after finding I was deficient on a daily regime of D2 and summer sunshine. I had such severe bone pain in my feet at times i couldn't move them. D3 finally relieved that after years of doctors and tests (not a vitamin D test till I asked for one)
There is no reason to add D to foods. Some can get enough from sun alone, others, like me, need high doses. Too much is very bad.

 

[Second Summer]

D3 finally relieved that after years of doctors and tests (not a vitamin D test till I asked for one)

But was that also a much higher dose than the D2 you had been taking?

I wonder if D2 is less effective, as this study has found, does it help to simply double the dose?

 

[silva]

I admit I didn't try massive doses of d2. Considering after a year of taking 5000 ui almost daily of D3 and STILL only at 30 after a year (starting with three months of 10000 D3) I can't help but feel I have issues with absorption, which is also what my doctor says
The bottom line is that it does not belong in food fortification.

 

[Naturebound1]

From what I understand, clinics and hospitals treat vitamin D deficiency starting out with D2 because it can safely be given in massive doses (such as 20,000-50,000 IU at a time) whereas there is an upper limit to D3. D2 can quickly raise levels at a very high dose, but I think can leave the body much quicker than D3? As a medical coder I see a lot of D2 injections but it seems like it is a short term treatment, and then is followed up with D3 supplementation once levels are raised.

I supplement a vegan D3 and my levels test normal (40-70 range). I have my D levels checked every six months along with blood calcium and magnesium due to my osteoporosis and being on a very potent medication that requires normal levels of these (they will take me off it if my levels drop too low). I take 1000 IU Nordic Naturals or Vitashine vegan D3. However, in the past I have taken D2 supplements and my levels also tested normal, but for some reason I would get headaches at a higher dose of D2. I am out in the sun biking quite a bit in the summer so tend to slack off on supplementing D some then, but Minnesota winters and being so far north, we HAVE to supplement at least part of the year to maintain more normal levels of D.

 

[Moll Flanders]

My doctor put me on D3 recently as my vitamin D levels were so low, he said my level was only 10. I thought that D3 is more easily absorbed. He thought that low vitamin D levels might have been the source of my joint pain.

I thought it might have been that I was tested straight after winter and I wasn't really being careful about taking vitamin D daily. I haven't ever had low levels before and I've been vegan for almost 11 years.

 

[KLS52]

Ugh. Some people do fine on D2, others do not. I take D3 after finding I was deficient on a daily regime of D2 and summer sunshine. I had such severe bone pain in my feet at times i couldn't move them. D3 finally relieved that after years of doctors and tests (not a vitamin D test till I asked for one)
There is no reason to add D to foods. Some can get enough from sun alone, others, like me, need high doses. Too much is very bad.

So interesting to hear about the connection between vitamin d levels and foot pain. I have been having foot pain for the last year or so and never knew it could be attributed to D levels. Of course, I just had my physical and my levels are fine so my issue is probably unrelated. But very coincidental.

 

[silva]

So interesting to hear about the connection between vitamin d levels and foot pain. I have been having foot pain for the last year or so and never knew it could be attributed to D levels. Of course, I just had my physical and my levels are fine so my issue is probably unrelated. But very coincidental.

was d included in the routine bloodwork? i was shocked to find my insurance doesnt cover it as routine, only if code as medically necessary. Last time it was coded as routine and I fought for months to get it corrected. It was an expensive test! Cheaper than the stupid tests they sent me for instead...

 

[silva]

From what I understand, clinics and hospitals treat vitamin D deficiency starting out with D2 because it can safely be given in massive doses (such as 20,000-50,000 IU at a time) whereas there is an upper limit to D3. D2 can quickly raise levels at a very high dose, but I think can leave the body much quicker than D3? As a medical coder I see a lot of D2 injections but it seems like it is a short term treatment, and then is followed up with D3 supplementation once levels are raised.

I supplement a vegan D3 and my levels test normal (40-70 range). I have my D levels checked every six months along with blood calcium and magnesium due to my osteoporosis and being on a very potent medication that requires normal levels of these (they will take me off it if my levels drop too low). I take 1000 IU Nordic Naturals or Vitashine vegan D3. However, in the past I have taken D2 supplements and my levels also tested normal, but for some reason I would get headaches at a higher dose of D2. I am out in the sun biking quite a bit in the summer so tend to slack off on supplementing D some then, but Minnesota winters and being so far north, we HAVE to supplement at least part of the year to maintain more normal levels of D.

I tested 12 at the end of a sunny summer, taking 400 ui of D2 daily. After testing, I took 10000 daily for some time, then 5000, then alternated 2500 - 5000 daily. Over a year later only 30
Do you know anything about DNA testing for vitamin/drug tolerances/absorption? It was discussed when I saw a lifestyle specialist physician (thought he was a general practitioner), but I never really got enough info

 

[KLS52]

was d included in the routine bloodwork? i was shocked to find my insurance doesnt cover it as routine, only if code as medically necessary. Last time it was coded as routine and I fought for months to get it corrected. It was an expensive test! Cheaper than the stupid tests they sent me for instead...

I believe it was as I did not get a bill for it.

 

[shyvas]

I believe it was as I did not get a bill for it.

Same here. Our NH doesn't cover testing for vit D. Moreover whenever I've had a blood test I was always deficient.

 

[Brian W]

Does anybody know what the general RDA is? I can't afford blood tests until I get a better job and want to be sure I am getting adequate. I am out most afternoons in the sun but the vegan vitamins I take at the moment don't include vitamin D. I have only been near vegan since my holiday started towards the end of June and totally vegan since 8th July (I thought "Hang it - I eat so little animal now I may as well go the whole way!")